Threshold-strip



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALVA BAIRD, OF MALOOM, IOWA.

TH RESHOLD-STRIP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 226,823, dated April 27, 1880.-

Application filed December 22, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALVA BAIRD, of Malcom, in the county of Poweshiek and State of Iowa, have invented an Improved Weather- Strip, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of weather-strips that are designed to prevent wind, dust, rain, and frost from passing through a crevice under a hinged door.

Numerous devices have been fastened to a door, to be carried thereby and to come in contact with the threshold when the door is closed, to accomplish the result contemplated. A weather-strip has also been combined with a threshold in such a manner that the movement of the door would cause it to turn up against the bottom of the door.

A strip of rubber has also been combined with a threshold formed in two parts in such a manner that the rubber would project upward to engage the bottom of the door when the door was closed.

Grooves have also been formed in the edges of doors and windows, and continuous strips of rubber placed in the grooves and clamped fast by means of strips of wood to produce fixed weather-strips.

Continuous rubber strips have also been fastened to strips of wood and metal in various ways to form weather-strips adapted to be fitted and fastened around doors and windows; but a continuous rubber strip projecting upward from the threshold of a door is frequently trod upon and subjected to short bends in reverse directions, and soon becomes broken and inoperative for the purpose contemplated. To overcome this objection to continuous strips I form a strip with bristles in such a' manner that the projecting line of packing material will sever at any point under foot-pressure, and reunite again when the pressure is removed, to serve at all times, when the door is closed, as a continuous strip of packing, ashereinafter fully set forth.

Figure 1 of my drawings is a perspective view of a section of my strip. Fig. 2 is a transverse section in position under a door. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a doorway and door and my strip in position as required in practical use. Together they clearly illustrate the construction, application, and operation of my complete invention.

a represents a strip of wood in the common form of a threshold, excepting that it has a longitudinal groove, 1), formed in its top and center. 0 represents a line of hog-bristles fastened in the groove 1). d is a wooden strip, corresponding in form with the groove b, placed upon the ends of the bristles in the groove and fastened down solid by means of screws, nails, or in any suitable way, to clamp the bristles fast in such a manner that their free ends will stand up in a row to produce a flexible packing that will readily conform to the movements of the door.

To aid in securing the bristles in the groove 1) and to preserve the wood, I cover the ends of the bristles and partly fill the groove with paint or cement made of oil and lead, or other suitable materials, before the wooden clam ping-strip d is fixed in place.

f represents a zinc plate that is fastened under the outside edge of the base-piece a, and then bent inward and over the strip d, to cover the seam formed by combining the two pieces of wood, and to improve the appearance and utility of the complete strip.

My complete weather-strip thus formed can be readily fitted in a doorway and permanently fixed in place in the manner that common wooden thresholds are applied, to serve as a threshold, and also as an automatic weather-strip, because when the door is closed its bottom will engage the line of bristle pack ing and bend them outward in such a manner that they will pack tightly against the bottom surface of the door to form an air and water tight joint between the threshold and the door, as required, to prevent wind, dust, rain, and frost from passing under the door, and to carry off rain that may beat against the door.

I claim- The combined threshold and Weatherstrip for doors, composed of the base-piece a, having a longitudinal groove, 1), the line of bristles c, the clamping-strip d, and the sheetmetal cover f, substantially as shown and described, to operate in the manner and for the purpose specified.

ALVA BAIRD. Witnesses:

GEO. S. TABER, BY. MARTIN. 

